Baby, It's Cold Outside

It's four degrees outside. The low tonight is negative two degrees. The wind is blowing, the snow is gusting, and it's positively bitter out.

This snowy, blustery night found me out on the town. Tonight I went to a Jim Brickman concert. It was at the Lied Center downtown on UNL's campus. I really don't know what got into me; last Friday I saw an article in the Lincoln Journal-Star about this guy, Jim Brickman, "America's Premier Romantic Pianist." I enjoy piano music, don't get me wrong, but it's not normally something I'd pay for. The mood struck me, though, and I felt that I really needed to go. I think the Christmas Season has turned me into a romantic shmuck. Anyway, this, however, was pretty great. He played really well, and was quite the entertainer, too. He was joined by an electric violinist and two vocalists and they all did a really great job. Totally out of character for me, I actually preferred the piano and the violin to the vocalists, although they did add a lot of interest to the performance. Brickman played some amazing Christmas classics, his popular love songs, and Disney music. In my book, that pretty much spells perfect. My favorite was the Disney stuff, but it was all great. And when they said he was America's Foremost Romantic Piano Player, they weren't lying. The place was so thick with sap you could swim in it. His first comment was that he was all about the coziness, and everyone should find someone's hand to hold. It would have been a perfect date night. (Oh wait, it was, I forgot, Keri was my hot date. :D) The funny part was that three of the four charter members of the IHM Club*, including the president, were there. Funnier still: Ellen, our illustrious president, was there on a date. So sad... But Keri and I let the club down as well. We decided that with very little hesitation we would happily marry any man who would serenade us on the piano with half of the skill and charm of Jim Brickman.

*the I Hate Marriage Club consists of Ellen Carlson (President), Keri Lundquist (Vice President), Melanie Santos, and Katie Carlson, with honorary membership recently extended to Emily Yancer.